Roadsters: The Mustang Crew
by Burne Hazard
Summary: Two new faces have come into the world of street-racing...but are not fated to remain alone. As the past is rebuilt, will the new Crew crash and burn with the Toretto Crew? Rating will change later.
1. Roadsters Disclaimer

            Okay, yeah, time for disclaimers...and a bit of info so you aren't completely lost as you read.  And I know, this is boring and you would rather get to the story, but it's short so bear with me.  
            First of all, any resemblance to persons living or dead is more than likely a coincidence.  The characters of Shelby, A.Jay and Richey are copyright to their creators/owners as products from their imaginations.  Likewise all plot ideas, stories and other such privileges are copyright to their owners, do not use without permission (and that is really easy to ask for).  
            Secondly, the use of the song and lyrics "Hell's Bells" by AC/DC might be incorrect as I picked them up from an online lyrics site, and no one writing claims any sort of ownership of that song, it is and always will be owned by AC/DC, we just borrowed it to spice things up.  There will be more songs included in mention through the fic however there will be other disclaimers at the start of those chapters.  
            Third, there will be mention later on of characters from "The Fast & The Furious", again we are only borrowing and do not own the actual characters.  This is not for profit, only for fun so please do not sue as we have nothing of any value that would be of any interest.  
            Fourth...a bit of info on the original characters.  
            Shelby "Mustang" Morgan was once a racing queen in her home city before a freak accident involving lightning ended her human life and began her existence as a car, specifically the cobalt blue 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 KR she had restored to make it appear like a GT 350.  Now a possessed car, she has a taste for killing those seeking to own her or get in her way, able to regenerate or alter any aspect of her body within limits.  
            A.Jay Lenzmeier, a.k.a. Luscious, is a college student with a dream that hangs in front of his face, out of his reach. With a slight knowledge of cars, he is in search of the ultimate automobile and the ultimate thrill. Finding it within a Mustang, he learns the value of his life, as well as a life stolen, and finds a piece of himself within the restoration of a soul.  
            Richey (no last name set) is a minor character, a young boy about the age of nine years.  Apparently an orphan, he is a street wraith who does what he must to survive.  He has had it very rough, and his past is anything but pretty with the lessons he has learned while wandering the streets trying to survive.  Despite everything that has happened to him, the "pretty boy" is still a bit too trusting underneath the wary walls and seems to like cars more than he admits.  
            This fic is rated as R due to language, the certainty of violence and the possibility of a bit of sexual intercourse further along, anything from non-consensual to "kinky" to slash.  If this offends, then you had better stop reading before you go any further.  
            This fic in particular is a joint-effort between myself and a very good friend I will simply call Diva.  Please, read and review so we can tell if we should give up or go on writing.  Now, if you're still here, on to the story!


	2. Oh God!

            _Oh god...now I remember why I hate winter.  
_            Tires slid on ice covered by a fine layer of snow making it extra slippery.  Managing carefully, there was only a faint moment of sliding before the car found its grip to move on down the road once more.  Snow or slush of some sort virtually coated the vehicle, frozen on by the outsize temperatures but still holding the vague shape of a mustang of some sort.  Icy blue-white headlights strained to illuminate the white gloom, succeeding in a few patches but otherwise invisible.  
            The windows were covered in ice, but for where the windshield was being continuously defrosted, allowing the driver to see clearly as the windshield wipers kept the melting snow and would-be ice away, sweeping it off and aside.  Unfortunately, not much could be seen even with the clear view from the car.  It was almost a white-out.  Although the car should not even be out, attempting to drive, it continued forward at what felt like a crawl.  
            "Any idea if we're near a town yet?"  
            Inside the moving vehicle, A.Jay Lenzmeier, better known as Luscious to the odd person, gripped the steering wheel as his breath came in white puffs upon the chill air.  The heat was on, but not very high in attempt to give his body time to adjust to the cold should he have to get out.  The dark brown hair streaked with paler highlights fell around his face, framing it and caressing his jaw and neck.  
            He had on a heavy coat of black, hood up to keep his ears warm and closed so the loose blue sweatshirt over a white tank top was not visible.  Unfortunately, he could only find the thickest pair of dark blue jeans he had to wear, feet in knee-high snow boots and socks.  Even his hands were covered in gloves.  But his lightly tanned skin was pale, nose a bit red.  He had stopped sniffling though.  
            No one else was in the car though, so it seemed as if he might just have been in the cold too long, talking to himself.  Indeed, there was no answer as the car hit another slippery spot, tail beginning to slide to the left before the tires stubbornly found another grip and straightened out.  The wheel turned under A.Jay's grip, but not by him, the car was moving by itself.  Slowing a bit more, there was a heavy sigh.  
            "You asked me that five minutes ago, and frankly, I don't even know if we're still where we were last time or fifty miles away."  
            A faint chuckle escaped the young man before he drew his hands back to breathe into them, trying to warm his nose.  Without needing to be told, the car turned the radio on, trying to find a station that would come through clearly.  Finally, a weather report came through and the volume rose some.  
            _"...record lows of forty below and still dropping.  Travel is not advised as winds are increasing, sending blowing snow up in thick clouds even as the blizzard continues without any sign of letting up.  If there is any traffic caught in this white-out, it is advised to pull over in a bit of shelter, and wait for the storm to pass..."  
_            The radio faded into static.  As it continued to search, the car snorted, grumbling something.  Not able to catch it all, A.Jay leaned forward, telling himself not to shiver even as ice claimed his back.  The leather seat beneath him was trying to warm up some and stay warm rather than give him a block of ice to sit on.  
            "What was that, Shelby?"  
            "Nothin'.  Just commenting on that person's lack of intelligence.  If this keeps up, and people are parked along the road waiting it out, they'll be dead frozen by the time people can come out to dig their cars out of the snow."  
            "Yeah..."  
            Silence came again, but for the howling of the wind and the almost congested sounds of a rumbling engine.  The mustang continued onward, refusing to be pushed off the road, refusing to be stopped by ice or snow, and absolutely refusing to stop and wait for death or worse.  Even if cold, A.Jay was somehow warm too, trying hard not to sneeze as he watched the wall of white.  It was almost as if they were not moving at all except when Shelby slipped a little.  
            Blinking once, he thought for a moment he had dozed off for suddenly it was a little easier to see.  He realized they were in the partial shelter of a building.  The lights were trying to shine on the street they were moving down but doing little at all.  Now the car was being even more careful.  Slow turns, creeping toward intersections, easing over slick places.  Then, they finally pulled into the rather crowded lot of a motel.  
            "Alright, now we're stopping.  A.Jay, you go get a room and get warm.  You know where I'll be."  
            He paused, even as he was uncurling to start following her instructions.  The belt opened under his fingers as he heard the engine cut off with something of a relieved sigh.  Everything was shutting down, the passenger's side door locked securely and the windshield already beginning to ice up as he watched, gathering his things.  
            "Are you sure?  You'll be okay?"  
            "Hey, hot-rod, I'm a car, made of cold metal.  I can deal with this little flurry now that I have a block from the wind, now get going."  
            The door opened, letting in cold and he shivered before sliding out.  It was still snowing and freezing but he lingered a moment longer near the mustang's icy nose.  
            "Get!"  
            Smirking, he patted her icy shell before following the sharp order.  Already his legs felt the icy bite of the wind, which still reached here just not as strong as on the road.  Shelby watched as long a she could, barely able to see him ducking into the front office to check in.  Mentally shivering, she really was glad she could easily take the cold.  A.Jay's form appeared a moment later, and she trailed him to his room where he vanished.  
            As everything was now just up to the waiting, that is what the car settled down to do.  She was not about to leave the shelter in this weather anyway.  One thing she had not told A.Jay but if she had not been able to reconfigure her tires and keep them heated to melt through the ice in spots, they would not have made it this far.  She was tired, and closing her eyes, she drew into a little ball somewhere in the car's shell to go dormant and gather her strength again.  
  
            The thump startled her back into awareness.  It was not the sort of thump that snow made by falling on her, but a different sort she knew rather well from hitting living bodies whether intentional or not.  Judging by the temperature of warmth still in the car's interior, she had not been out that long.  Her first rather grouchy thought was that A.Jay was checking on her, or he must have forgotten something.  
            Ice cracked at the driver's side as a chilled hand curled around the door and someone tried to open the door.  Without really looking, she helped with a faint shift that broke the shell and let the door open.  Thus, it was quite a surprise when it was not A.Jay's weight and form that slid into the warm leather of the driver's seat.  Attention snapping to the one closing the door to keep the warmth in, she was shocked at what she saw.  
            But, even as she watched the shivering form, her attention was drawn outside to the weather.  Most of the other cars there were heaped in feet of snow...she was not yet but would be.  It was like a blanket, a cold one, but a smothering one nonetheless.  Checking the radio stations without turning the actual radio on, the weather report was grim, promising a lot more of this heavy snow without break.  
            Even as she "glanced" back to where her guest was shivering, curled up in, surprisingly, the passenger's side rather than behind the wheel, she considered.  Trembling paws were digging at the cool water bottles A.Jay had left, taking a bit of the junk food up too in order to eat.  Just watching, she mentally sighed, remaining "just a car" without saying or doing anything.  However, a bit of heat was pushed into the interior without needing the engine.  
            _A.Jay isn't going to like this..._  
  
            Warmth came to her senses first.  She was rather blind as she guessed the snow had made her into a literal drift.  It was not exactly warmth but a bit of a rise outside, stillness.  A hint of motion came to her, rather dulled to her senses.  It was quite frustrating at that.  Shadows and white was all she could figure out until a gloved hand swiped snow away from one headlight, restoring some vision.  
            "Hey, Blue...you are under here after all."  
            Checking on the form shivering under the blankets she had insisted A.Jay put in there as a winter kit, she spoke up quietly, keeping her tone outside.  
            "Yeah, I think.  How long?"  
            Those warm hands continued sweeping snow off her to reveal the iced car beneath a little at a time.  "Well, I've been here two days, and the snow just now stopped so I decided to check on you."  
            Now came the problem, even as he continued knocking the white stuff off her hood, working around toward the driver's side.  At least the black windows kept the interior out of immediate notice.  But how was she going to explain the person in the back seat?  And what she had overheard from the person when they talked to themselves...or rather talked to the car just to pass the time?  
            "Erm, hey, A.Jay...there's something that you should...probably know.  And I just want you to think about it...because we have a small...erm, problem."  
            By this time he was in front of her again and glanced up, the hood of his coat shadowing his face while a few locks of hair fell over his eyes.  
            "Problem?"  
            "Yeah...erm, well, you know how...you found that cat in me...when you first towed me home from the junk yard?"  
            He paused, leaning against her hood a little.  "What exactly do you mean..?"  
            She was silent for a moment.  This was not going in the exact direction she wanted it to go.  Now, the question was how to go about this.  But, finally, she sighed.  The least she could do was be clear and forward.  "Well, em...after you went into your room...  I kinda forgot to lock the driver's side door...and someone kinda got in.  There's a boy curled in the back seat."  
            Before she could let him say anything, she went on in a bit of a rush.  
            "He's all alone, been on the street for a few years now tryin' to survive.  He didn't mean any harm but just needed some shelter during that blizzard and seeing us arrive, he came out to try and get warm.  The ice was too thick and snow too deep for him to get out so he stayed.  He's been talkin' to me like you were before you knew what I was and he's so thin, cold, he's scared to death people will put him in an orphanage or foster home, he doesn't have anyone and well...um...that's about it..."  
            A.Jay stared, tilting his head to the side as he moved around to the drivers door and pulled it open.  He saw the bundles of blankets and the young boy beneath them and a sigh escaped his lips.  "Holy Hell...I have a child in the back of the car," he murmured, before slipping in and closing the door as slowly and quietly as possible.  He looked up into the rearview mirror, staring at the young boy before whispering, "What do you want to do with him, Blue?"  
            It took a moment before his image was removed from the mirror to be replaced by two eyes, hollow and black, the only thing unusual about the young woman's face that held a rather healthy tan color while auburn hair framed her gaze.  "Keep him?"  
            "Keep'im...it's _that_ easy."  
            A.Jay tore his eyes away from her to look over at the kid.  He sighed gently and nodded, "He's not a dog, but definitely a stray...  Does he know about you?"  
            "Hell no!"  Her tone remained low rather than wake the boy yet.  "You're the only one that knows I can talk and what exactly I am.  To him I'm just a cool car that was shelter and safety.  You know, kinda like people tell their pets things they would never tell anyone else?  And I'd like to keep it that way.  Look, hot-rod, he doesn't have anyone to go to, and no place to go...please?  Can we keep him?"  
            Another sigh escaped his lips, but A.Jay couldn't refuse.  Either it was the words she spoke, or the tantalizing way she spoke them.  Whichever it was, he wouldn't refuse her, or fight her on it.  He flashed a look up at her, before twisting to turn over the seat and reach his cold hand out to brush against the boy's shoulder.  
            "Hey..." He said gently, invitingly, "Wake up kid."  
            Shelby's mirror returned to normal reflections as she drew back.  Remaining silent, she could not help but grin and shout "YES!" in her mind.  However, the boy had quite a different reaction.  At the touch, he came awake with a cry, eyes opening and focusing on A.Jay before he went white and instantly drew back, scrambling out of the blankets.  
            "I'msorry!  Ididn'tdonuthin!  Didn't take or hurt nuthin!  Honest!  Don't hurt me!"  
            "No no no! Kid...no...I ain't mad!"  A.Jay quickly assured him, turning over to hang over the seats.  "Calm down, I ain't gonna hurt you either.  You hungry?"  
            The car mostly watched, feeling the way the kid was shaking, both with cold and fright.  He was so skinny, it was almost frightening to Shelby.  Still, if he would just calm down some...it would help.  At least, even when he had eaten what was left in the car, he had been neat, even when clambering over the seats.  The boy in question was just staring at A.Jay as if waiting for him to do something.  When nothing happened, he gulped before muttering, "What'dya want?"  
            "This car..."  The college student started to say, but he was sure he was going to get something of a beat-down later for it, "She's mine...and I just want to know if you're hungry.  I know its cold out, so I ain't about to let you go anywhere without at least a good hot meal and a ride in a Mustang."  
            Luscious smirked and leant back to the seat, writhing in it before he brought the keys to the ignition.  "Come sit up here with me, you can pick the music."  
            Listening closely, the boy's eyes narrowed, clearly not exactly trusting the guy talking to him.  But, he was also hungry, and the offer sounded good.  One small hand moved up to unlock the passenger's side door before he very carefully slid up and into the passenger's seat, clearly ready to bolt at one wrong move.  
            "What's innit for you?"  
            "A cheese and ham omelet if I'm lucky."  A.Jay said with a chuckle.  He looked over at the boy and winked, before putting the Mustang in reverse and slowly backing her up.  
            "...Maybe some of them hash browns...What's your name?"  He asked, shifting into drive and slowly pulling out of the ice slicked lot and onto the interstate once more.  
            Remaining just a car, Shelby turned the radio on nevertheless once the engine rumbles to life.  Out of safety, she locked the passenger's side door again as the kid was not paying attention.  While the weather report and casualties from the storm was read, she kept herself out of the action otherwise, saving her strength.  
            "That ain't what I mean...what'dya want?  Nothin's free...so what'dya want from me?"  
            A shrug of broad shoulders and A.Jay 'drove' the Mustang towards the cafe he had seen a few days back.  "Nothing, just your name...And maybe a story on why you're outside and sleepin' in my car in the middle of the coldest week of the winter?"  
            A.Jay cut soft eyes towards the young boy and grinned, having realized the emphasis he placed on the words, 'my car', just to see what her reaction would be.  
            No reaction could be given exactly without revealing herself, so Shelby just noted it in mind to pay back later.  Heat came on, becoming a little noticeable as it blew on them as the engine finished warming up.  The boy ceased to tremble from cold now as he sat down, keeping his wary brown eyes on the man driving.  
            "Seemed like onea th' warmest places.  Least outta the snow."  
            "Yeah, she's the warmest girl I know..."  A.Jay commented, offhandedly as they drove. He flashed a quick wink in the mirror and looked over at the boy swiftly, "Your name?"  
            Glancing away, the kid looked at the dash for a moment as if thinking.  His hair was short but a bit messy and overgrown, dark in color though the exact shade was distorted by some filth.  He was certainly from the streets from the look of him.  "Richey."  
            "Richey, eh? Well, I am A.Jay, Luscious, whichever suits your liking."  
            He turned the Mustang into the parking lot and brought her closer to the door in a parking spot.  Turning her down, cutting her engine off, A.Jay sighed and looked over at the boy.  "Let's eat, eh?"  He nodded approvingly and pushed out of his side, moving around to pull the passenger door open for Richey.  
            Shelby had something else in mind.  Even as she unlocked the passenger's side door to let the kid out, she made it stick.  Waiting, she watched A.Jay until the kid pushed from inside.  Instantly, the door flew out to strike the college student hard in payback for whatever he had said to get under her skin.  A simple reminder that she could still be nasty when she chose.  
            Richey however paled with a gulp.  "I'm sorry!  I didn't mean ta...the door was...stuck...."  
            She had succeeded.  After being slapped in the face with the car door, he fell back, slipping onto the icy ground with a thwack and thud.  Coughing, he looked up at the kid and smirked slightly,  "It's not your fault..."  
            He groaned as he sat up and then shakily got to his feet.  A.Jay released a sigh finally, after sending Shelby a glare and stepping on the concrete of the cleared walkway.  
            Chuckling to herself, the car locked the doors.  Richey seemed rather uncertain before pushing the door he hung onto closed.  He was clearly still uncertain about this but his growling stomach was getting the better of him.  And, he followed A.Jay, carefully moving across ice and through snow to keep up with him, already shivering some.  
            They were seated, however painful it looked for A.Jay, they got seated in a booth.  The waitress brought a cup of cocoa out for the boy, and a cup of coffee for the college student.  After she dropped the menus off, and sputtered out the specials, she walked away, smiling slightly.  
            A.Jay eyed her and then looked back at Richey, "I think she likes you."  
            Richey, eyes wide to take in everything around him as he squirmed into a more comfortable position in his seat, stopped to look back to the guy.  "She?  She who?"  
            A.Jay pondered saying 'both of them', but he refrained as he took a drink of the java.  Wincing at the heat as it coursed down through an empty belly, he nodded towards the waitress and then looked back at Richey.  
            "Waitress lady.  I bet she thinks you're hot."  
            While his head turned to glance after the lady, a faint hint of red colored the boy's neck, nearly hidden by his hair.  Turning back around, he took the cocoa carefully in his hands, almost as if afraid it would be snatched away and did not want to be burned in the attempt.  A sip later, and slight wince, he shook his head.  "Not hot...I'm cold."  
            Chuckling, A.Jay forgot about the coffee and lifted the menu, eyeing it warily.  After he studied it for a few moments, he brought it down to look at the boy with soft and concerned eyes, "...If I don't like the pancakes, will you eat them for me?"  
            Blinking, the boy looked at A.Jay with surprise that melted into wariness then back into hope all in the matter of seconds.  His eyes moved to the pictures on the menu, almost devouring them before looking back to the guy.  Attempting to keep the enthusiasm from his voice, he shrugged some.  "Sure...but everyone likes pancakes."  
            "Yeah, I like some pancakes, but if they're too thick, they sit wrong with me."  A.Jay shrugged, he was being completely serious.  He nodded towards the menu, "Pick whatever you want, and then thank the car for you breakfast, she won the race that paid for it."  He winked and leant back, bringing the mug of coffee to his lips and drank it slowly.  
            "Race?!"  
            Even as the word escaped him, he snapped his mouth shut.  Richey remained silent for a moment, just studying the man.  He had no idea what to make of the guy who said he did not want anything in payment for the food...and was not mad about finding him in the mustang.  But a race?  With money from it?  That seemed almost too good to be true, plus he had never seen any mustangs in the races on TV, none like that car.  
            After puzzling over it a moment, he looked back to the menu.  He had been told to pick anything, but that could mean a lot of things.  To be safe, he decided to just get the smallest-priced food on the menu.  He knew numbers enough to figure out what was the lowest.  Setting the menu down, he pointed to the sides, the toast and one egg, it seemed the smartest.  
            A.Jay blinked, "Hell no you're not eating that..."  
            He shook his head and pointed to the omelet and toast, with a side of bacon or sausage links, "You're eating this, because if I don't like the pancakes, I am stealing one of the pieces of toast."  He nodded and smirked, "And yeah, race...racing.  That pretty Blue Mustang can push zero to sixty in a matter of seconds."  
            Cringing slightly at the first words, Richey managed to stay in his place and listen.  As his brown eyes fell on the pointing finger, the pictures of such food...he looked to the price and gulped.  Well, if that was what he was getting, he would not really protest.  But his unease was growing.  He had learned a harsh lesson on the streets, despite his age, and this man was either one of those or crazy.  
            "Ain't no mustangs like dat car in races.  I ain't never seen any on TV, so don't try ta sell me that, mister."  Even if he might be digging himself in deeper, he hated being lied to by anyone.  His eyes said as much as he glared at A.Jay, firmly believing his own words.  "Those cars are fast, but ain't bein' raced no more."  
            A smile crept along A.Jay's lips, before they parted and he attempted to speak. But the waitress cut them off, ready to take their order.  
            "Ah...yeah...He wants the special four, and I want a seven...maple syrup and strawberries."  
            He winked at the woman and she nodded, flashing a smile at the boy before disappearing.  A.Jay made sure she was gone before he leant over the table and said gently, calmly and sophisticatedly to the boy, "That Mustang out there races in street races, no television, no cops and no losing."  
            Then he looked out towards Shelby and back at Richey, "We're on our way to Florida to do that...no snow down there.  You're welcome to come along, but believe me, she races...she wins."  
            Just as most young boys his age, curiosity was still strong in Richey as he leaned forward to listen closely as if it was a secret being shared.  There was still some disbelief in his eyes as he leaned back, hands curled as protectively as possible around the too-warm mug of his cocoa.  Finally though, he gave a shrug as if he had settled into a decision.  "Yeah, I guess that sorta racin' might work."  
            Did he forget the offer about Florida?  Maybe, then again, maybe not, as he was still wary.  Lifting the mug, he took another sip, this time able to savor the taste of the chocolate and enjoy the warmth.  But his eyes strayed away from A.Jay toward the blue mustang outside.  All signs of ice and snow were almost completely gone, leaving the deep blue car to glow in an almost subdued manner against the white and gray world.  
            It was mere moments after the waitress had left, before she returned with the food.  Setting the plates down, she smiled warmly, "Enjoy."  Before she walked off, taking a look over her shoulder at them before disappearing.  
            A.Jay watched her for a moment before shaking his head, he wasn't liking the way she was watching them.  At first, it seemed that she was just checking them out, but he was certain now there was more to it.  He poked at the pancakes and looked back at the boy, trying to distract himself.  
            "That sort of racing does work, you'll see. "  
            Richey was actually a bit distracted by the scent of the food.  For a while, all he did was just inhale, and look, as if it was too good to be true.  Outside, Shelby could see them, and watching the boy, she wondered exactly how long he had been out on the streets...and what he had gone through.  But oblivious to the "car's concern", the boy was reaching quickly for the silverware, at least he knew enough to use it.  
            Even as he forced himself to take it a bit slow rather than wolfing, he was watching A.Jay warily.  "Yeah...maybe.  I still wanna know what all this is gonna cost me...what ya want from me."  
            A.Jay chewed slowly on one of the berries.  Shaking his head, he took another drink of the coffee to wash it down and smiled.  
            "You like my car?"  
            Pausing while chewing a bit too big a bite of omelet, waiting to swallow it down before trying to talk again rather than waste food.  "Sure!  It'sa mustang!"  
            "Then here's the deal.  Your 'payment' is to help me keep her up like that.  She needs a lot of attention, she kinda craves it."  
            A.Jay cut his eyes towards the car, almost longingly, adoringly before he took a bite of another strawberry.  Swallowing it slowly, he looked back at Richey and smirked, "You can come with me, you can get anything and everything you need to an extent, you can do whatever you want within reason, with me...if you help me keep the Mustang happy.  Sound good?"  
            Still eating, the boy listened.  The guy must be crazy the way he kept talking about the car like it was a person.  But...now that he thought about it, he had the odd feeling that he might just think the same about the mustang if he let himself.  The car had been rather warm, even though encased in snow, and the seats were comfortable.  His eyes darted toward the car again before he shook his head.  
            "Cars don't care bout attention, they ain't able ta be happy er sad.  Anyway, I don't know nothin' bout 'em cept a few names and the simple stuff.  I'd just screw somethin' up.  Ya should getta mechanic...not a kid."  
            "Do I look like a car guru?"  A.Jay asked, before taking a bite of the slightly thick pancake.  He was already certain he was going to give the boy the rest of them, but he was insistent on at least trying.  After a few silent bites, he looked out at Shelby and smirked, "..You know, sometimes cars treat you better if you treat them better.  You know how you sometimes hear them people cursing out their car because it stalled?  Who are we to say that it didn't stall because he or she yelled at the car a few nights before?"  
            A.Jay smirked and went silent, taking more bites of the fruit.  When he thought about her, a smile grew along his lips and he looked back at Richey, "All I want is someone to help me with her.  You'll learn as you go, I did."  
            The boy had stopped eating, leaving the bite he had in his mouth only half-chewed as he simply watched, listening intently.  Actually, he listened so hard, he forgot to breathe.  So when A.Jay looked back at him, breaking the momentary spell, he tried to inhale and swallow at once.  Choking, he coughed hard, managing to get the food down the right pipe before getting a breath, coughing a few smaller pieces out of his lungs.  
            In a few seconds though, he had everything under control again and eyed the guy across from him.  "Mister...ya sound plumb crazy...but..."  
            Pausing, he slowly reached out for the cocoa again.  "...maybe I am too...cause...I'm thinkin' I'd like ta go with ya.  You'd really teach me 'bout cars?"  
            Alarmed, A.Jay had been ready to move over to the boy to perform a few maneuvers on him.  Blinking as the younger boy spoke, he nodded and smirked, pushing the glass of water over in his direction.  
            "I can teach you all I know, which isn't a whole lot, but its enough to be able to have restored her."  
            No matter how little A.Jay claimed to know, the thought of being able to learn about cars was like a light to a moth, and Richey was hooked even if he tried to make out as if he was not interested in the least.  Taking the water without a second thought, he swallowed a few times to help ease the pain out of his throat and smooth things along.  His food was already half gone and he was beginning to feel full, but he refused to waste it.  
            "More th'n I know."  Taking the fork and knife up again, he attacks the food once more, steadily making it disappear.  
            A.Jay's eyes and thoughts turned back towards the waitress.  She was not in sight, which was good and bad, but making A.Jay more paranoid than before.  When he had his fill of the cakes before him, he watched Richey and leant back, taking a draining drink of the coffee.  Setting the emptied mug down, he looked out at Shelby and smiled inwardly.  
            _All right, so I am doing this for you, for me...  For him.  I hope you're going to enjoy this, Blue..._  
            Shelby herself was still watching in a semi-detached way.  Noticing A.Jay's look though, she winked at him.  One headlight came on then went off again, just because she wanted too.  Richey however was slowing down his second attack on the food, and actually hiccupped before burping.  Covering his mouth with one hand, he muttered something behind his fingers that might have been a "Scuse me."  
            The waitress resurfaced again, eyeing A.Jay as she dropped off two boxes and the check.  As she walked away, A.Jay fished out the money and dropped it on table, then moved quickly at boxing the food.  He looked at Richey and nodded, standing and motioning towards the door.  
            "Just walk out, and go to the car..."  His eyes were affixed now on the few locals that started to eye him.  
            Just finishing the last of cocoa, Richey paused, reaching out to take the water again, still a bit thirsty.  But he drank quickly, knowing that warning tone of voice.  Apparently, this guy knew when trouble was in the air.  It was rather puzzling as Richey himself sensed nothing yet, but he knew better than to linger.  Sliding out of his place, he stood without a word, turned and moved toward the door, fully intending to go to the car.  
            A.Jay had hoped this would not happen.  Hell, he hoped that nothing like this would ever happen to anyone, but he knew those looks, and he knew the trouble.  Once the kid was out the door, one of the larger men stood and very nearly missed grabbing onto Luscious' shoulder.  Without a second thought, A.Jay turned and brought his fist into the flesh of the man's jaw, knocking him back.  Blinking, the college student turned and pushed out of the diner, just in time to hear the sirens of the police cars.  
            "..Shit shit shit! GET IN THE CAR!"  He called out to Richey, sure that he had scared the young boy, but he wasn't taking any chances.  
            Shelby unlocked the doors instantly even as Richey nearly jumped out of his skin, nearly to the passenger's side door.  It opened with ease for him as he scrambled in, sliding on a patch of ice to fall face-first into the seat and just tumbling the rest of the way.  Thankfully, the door swung closed after him even as Shelby had to fight with herself not to turn the engine on right then.  She waited for A.Jay and kept up her act.  
            Richey was straightening himself out some now, though one knee hurt where he had landed on it when he slipped.  He curled up on the floor, possibly the safest place to be at the moment as he would not have time to buckle himself in.  Outside, even as this was happening, Shelby spoke to A.Jay alone.  "What happened in there?"  
            "Cops...waitress and now I am a molester!"  A.Jay growled, slipping to the car and flinging himself within the drivers side.  Just tapping his fingers to the ignition, he urged her to rev the engine and get them out of there.  He looked down at Richey for a moment and smirked, before shifting into reverse and slamming on the gas.  
            "Richey, don't be too scared, just stay down and I'll get you out of this, all right?"  
            _Well, at least the kid will know the racing part was for real..._  
            Now that the engine was on, Shelby did take control, tires finding purchase on the slippery ground to hive a breathy hiss before there was a screech and she shot backward, braking at the right point and turning her tires to whip around, stop...and shoot forward with wings of snow made slush flying out from her tires as she took out of the lot and into the street.  Ice or no, she was going to race, it was just going to take up almost all her attention to stay on the road.  
            Curled up and braced on the floor, Richey just nodded, eyes wide with the lurching, spinning coaster.  As there is a momentary break, he almost leapt up into the seat, grabbing the belt and securing himself there so he could watch at the very least.  Eyes still wide, he gulped, pale but still thrilled somehow to be in the car.  
            "Fuck!"  
            A.Jay growled, looking in the rearview mirror to see the cars that slipped and tried to keep up with the Mustang.  He 'drove' the car as best he could, turning his eyes sidelong to look at Richey with a sympathetic grin.  "Whatever happens, you'll stay in the car, you'll hide from them, because if they find you, they take you away, and I don't want you away, got me?"  He cocked a grin along his features and held his foot on the gas.  
            "You all right with that, Richey?"  
            The boy just nodded a bit quickly, twisting in the seatbelt to watch, but knowing to keep it secure.  Also, it seemed the belt tightened some whenever he did move, like the car was holding him in place.  He did not think anything about it though, too busy watching.  Then, Shelby almost yelped as she hit a patch of solid ice.  She found nothing to grip with, and even though she did not turn her tires, the car's tail began to slide to one side, the nose the other way as the side came around.  
            _SHHHHIIIITT!_  
            The driver's side belt was suddenly tight around A.Jay's body as she held both of them firmly in place, trying to control her spinning slide some.  
            A.Jay pumped the brake like he had learned in drivers ed, and then just plain old common sense kicked in.  But this was what the cops wanted.  Groaning inwardly when the car came to a stop, more of the squads moving to literally block the car in, A.Jay looked over at Richey and motioned for the back seat with his eyes.  
            _Shelby, I know you can't hear me, but you're going to have to conceal him, they are going to search the car..._  
            There were shouts from all around, and A.Jay sighed, leaning back to unfasten his seatbelt.  One hand gripping to the door handle, the other holding, nearly caressing the steering wheel.  "Richey, just stay with her for me...no matter what."  
            Always silent, Shelby was snarling.  Her doors remained firmly locked as she disabled the door's handle.  There was no way she was just going to let A.Jay go again, not like this.  Mind racing, she tried to figure out something to do, anything.  The rush of need was giving her back all her former powers including a little bit of a boost, but what was she to do other than play bumper cars?  
            Richey meanwhile was almost as white as a sheet.  He was scared of cops, scared of what they could do to him, and of what they might make him do.  There was also the fear of being locked up in an orphanage or chained to a foster family...where things could happen and no one would believe him.  Right now, to his point of view, A.Jay was safer than those around them, and he reached out to grab his arm, shaking his head hard.  
            The shouts were louder, the Mustang surrounded.  A.Jay himself was shocked at how they were reacting, as though he had hurt the child.  Little did he know why they were really there.  His hand released the wheel and the door, and he let out a breath, looking over at Richey.  
            "Come here."  He said calmly, his true Brooklyn accent sounding through the slight fear that raced into his body.  He did not know if the boy would come to him, closer to him, as they had only known each other a total of two hours, but he could sense the fear, he could match the fear with his own.  
            _Shelby...help me please..._  
            And indeed, Shelby was working on it.  Of course, in her current state, her mind was racing a mile a second.  Then, she sighed mentally.  It did look like the only way out of this was to go with her first thought.  Funny, when she was a human, she loved the bumper-cars...as a kid at least.  But right now, it was a hassle.  She focused, thickening and weaving the metal and fiberglass of her body, adjusting the black windows to be a bit more repellant.  
            Even if there was a second where Richey was tempted to pull back, well, he remembered that A.Jay was the lesser of two evils.  He moved up, the belt releasing him as he hit the right catch.  But he had to have moved wrong or something as his seat fell backward, making him almost tumble into the back seat.  It was then he saw that A.Jay's seat also fell back.  Little did he know Shelby was giving them both a command to get into the back and buckle in.  
            _"I'm a rolling thunder, a pouring rain. I'm comin' on like a hurricane. My lightning's flashing across the sky. You're only young but you're gonna die. I won't take no prisoners, won't spare no lives. Nobody's putting up a fight. I got my bell, I'm gonna take you to hell! I'm gonna get you, Satan get you..."_  
            The radio was on and "Hell's Bells" by AC/DC was building up as the engine's roar deepened, strengthened into the deadly snarling rumble of a predator crouching, coiling and ready to strike.  Shelby's tires heated, shifted, froze, finding purchase on the slippery ice as she sank a bit lower toward the ground, ready to move, but waiting on them.  
            A.Jay knew it, he knew it like he knew how to breathe.  Pulling Richey into the back seat with him, he fastened the belt quickly and did so with his own, leaning back, but keeping himself closer to the boy if he got frightened.  
            "We have a lot of explaining to do after this..."  He murmured, pushing the seats up and looking over at Richey with a soft smirk.  He could hear the yells and hollers from outside, and he ducked a bit, reaching his hand out to pull Richey down too.  _GO!!_  
            Waiting until the last moment, simply to make certain they were down, she revved the engine and shot forward, tires loosing their grip then regaining it, spinning to send slush and water flying as she spun wildly around.  Richey had no time to even voice what was going on and why A.Jay was moving into the back before the car moved and he gave a frightened squeak, grabbing the larger man tightly.  But she was already learning how to manage this icy rink as men scattered with shouts of surprise.  
            Metal crunched as her tail hit one car, jolting it hard enough to send it sliding before she kicked smoothly into reverse to slam into another.  There were a few shots coming now, but not many as the cops were scattering away from the moving cars.  Her paint was scratched and tail a bit out of joint, but she was holding together surprisingly well.  Bullets hit her blue hide but did not pierce, only dented...just as the glass did not shatter.  Armored car indeed.  And over it all, AC/DC blasted.  
            "Shit!"  
            A.Jay growled, shifting himself closer to bring his arms around Richey and offer a secure embrace amongst the frantic and chaotic jolts of the car.  But he knew she wouldn't let him down, she never purposely would, and there would have been no other way to keep him out of those hand cuffs if she had not done this.  He was waiting for her to clear them out, knowing then it would be safer to get into the drivers side once more, but he was more worried on how Richey was going to react to it.  He was nine.  He would believe in it, right?  
            In any other situation, Shelby might just have been having fun with this sort of slipping and sliding.  But the annoying sting of bullets was enough to keep her focused.  Paint was removed in rounded circles or angled lines if a bullet grazed her skin.  Cars continued to fall under her assault, the wild spinning and sliding served to make the ice even more slippery, the police cars beginning to create an opening.  
            Richey was scared to death, hands gripping at A.Jay's shirt, but in a way, he wanted more of the heart-pounding thrill.  Finally, he buried his face against his hands, trying to keep from being sick as the world outside spun around them.  AC/DC still played, and just as he thought he heard the song end, there was a rather sickening crunch and scream of metal, the entire car jolted, twisted...  
            And Shelby actually brought the passenger's side up off the ground to angle the car through the gap, twist, and they were out, moving along the road on only the drivers side tires before she twisted to bring them down with a jolt.  Tires almost instantly finding purchase now that the ice was behind made the mustang shoot forward down the street, gaining speed...and around the corner.  
            _Kiss 'er goodby boys!_  
            "Goddamned it Shelby!  You're going to give the kid a heart attack!!"  A.Jay exclaimed, jolting with her as she came down on all four tires.  Releasing his tightened grip on the boy, he moved to slip into the front seat, instantly shooting a look back through the rear window.  
            "Fuck!  You think we can get away?"  He knew he sounded like a complete nut, speaking to a car, but Richey was probably too scared to take much notice anyway.  
            The only answer given was for her to take another turn.  Again she slid, but this time she knew how to handle the turn and let momentum take care of it rather than trying to increase speed.  Her tail whipped around, taking the turn smoothly before her tires shifted and her nose came around to  point down the street as her tires caught hold and she took off without hardly ever slowing.  
            "Tell ya what, hot-rod, you think you can do better, you can get out and walk."  Her tone was a bit stressed but still teasing even as she shot down the street.  
            Behind, the kid remained curled up in the back seat.  There was no way that he was going to try to slide into the front like A.Jay, so he would stay put.  He still had no idea what was going on and the shock itself was making any thought impossible.  A slightly shaky voice did rise from him as he held tightly onto the seat.  
            "Never been on'a roller coaster before...and I ain't never gettin' on th' real thing!"  
            A.Jay actually smiled.  He could hear the sirens and the screeching of tires along the ice in a fair amount of distance.  He could imagine the looks on the cops' faces when the Mustang squealed out of their barricades.  Looking over his shoulder at Richey, Luscious smiled and offered his arm, "Come up here with me, Kiddo."  
            For a moment, there was nothing.  Then, Richey's brown eyes appeared just above his arm as he looked at A.Jay.  Purposely, Shelby took the next stretch rather gently.  As if catching onto the smoother ride, the boy did not hesitate another moment before he was out of the belt and grasping the man's arm to scramble into the passenger's seat.  He landed in it just in time too.  
            Screeching once on pavement, the tires locked for a moment as she braked to whip around and slide into a gravel alley with several fresh tire-tracks in it.  The resulting jolts and bouncing of the car were taken mostly on the shocks, careful not to send the two inside against roof or windows.  She was on gravel now and easily turned into the faint hint of a drive to stop.  Already, her body was mostly fixed but the blue paint transformed in a single wash to a rather old-looking Ford White.  
            "Get down and stay down!"  The engine's abrupt silence made the voice very hard to miss as she waited, watching and listening closely.  
            Blinking for a moment, A.Jay tried to see what she was doing.  Before another hesitation, he reached to pull the kid closer to the middle of the seat and he ducked down with him.  Hearing as the cars sped by, sirens wailing before they became slightly distanced, A.Jay lifted a brow and hissed, "What did you do!?"  
            This time there really was no answer as Shelby was preoccupied with her own troubles.  It was the first time she had actually attempted to make herself bullet-proof, and it was proving to be a literal pain.  Several of her "signals" were crossed as she tried to figure out what damage still had to be fixed.  When she had exposed her belly to leave the ring of cops, a few shots had hit something that entered her engine.  
            However, Richey had not registered the female voice before, and thus thought A.Jay was talking to him as he lay rather sprawled face-first across the seats.  Actually, now that he had been moved, his stomach was twisting rather uncomfortably.  "I didn't do nuthin...but...I...don't feel so good..."  
            Suddenly, he jerked himself out of the man's hold and twisted to almost thrust the door open so he could fall outside into the snow and heave.  The amount of food, as well as the fact it was rich and fresh was something his stomach was not used to.  Of course the wild ride did not help either.  Throat burning, his eyes squeezed tightly closed as tears burned their way through his lashes with every choking heave.  
            "Fuck a duck."  
            A.Jay mumbled, easing up to watch the boy retch outside of the car.  He could not hear the sirens anymore, and without hesitation, he pushed out of the car and scooted along its outside towards the kid.  He eased down into the snow bank closest and brushed his hand through Richey's hair.  
            "Hey...you did good in there.  I'm sorry about all'a that."  
            He smiled, paying no attention to foul smell of bile and eggs.  Instead, his other hand reached down into the clean snow and chilled the appendage.  Once the snow had melted, he brought the hand to rest on Richey's cheek caringly, to cool him down from the flush that heated his cheeks.  
            The kid was trembling as he gulped, grimacing but managing to stop his stomach's protests at last.  At least the cold air and snow was helping to clear his mind more, even as he became aware of that cool hand.  Instinctively, he pressed his head against the limb without thinking about what it was doing.  Finally, he slides away from both A.Jay and the mess, using a little clean snow to remove the taste from his mouth and lips.  
            Both brown eyes were wide with the lingering fear and excitement as he looked first to A.Jay then the now-white mustang.  Hundreds of things flashed behind his gaze in the matter of seconds before his mouth moved as he blurted out, "How'd ya do that?!  What's goin' on?  What just happened?  Who are you and what kinda car is that?!"  
            "Well..." the college student started, as he stepped away from the snow bank and kicked the fluffy whiteness over the puke.  He leant back against Shelby, releasing a soft breath as he leant there.  
            "It's like this...Shelby here, has a bit of a magical spirit guiding her.  And as much as I know, she knows it a lot better, and its up to her to tell you the rest.  I am just A.Jay.  I bought her, fixed her up with her own assistance and now I'm in lo--..."  He trailed off and blinked, wondering when his tongue had gotten so loose.  "I uh...She's my best friend."  
            Richey was listening as he carefully tested his unsteady legs before attempting to stand up once more.  He only swayed for a moment upon regaining his feet before fixing A.Jay with a hard look.  Shelby herself was just now starting to pull a little attention back from the adjustments to focus on them.  And it seemed that the kid was not really a true believer.  
            "Oh, come on, I ain't _that_ young er stupid.  How'd ya get it ta drive itself?  How about changin' its color?  Spirit?  Come on, it's just a car.  There's gotta be some sorta trick."  
            The last part was probably what caught Shelby's attention the most.  Words rose to mind, but she bit them back.  Of course she still had quite the mean streak inside her, so she simply waited to see what A.Jay was going to do to that.  
            Chuckling, A.Jay shook his head and gestured towards Shelby.  "Look, I am not kidding you, and I know I sound like a looney toon, but this car, this beautiful Mustang has a spirit, she's a..."  He looked over at her and smirked, "She's a lot of things, but I ain't a magician, I ain't special enough to put in 'tricks' for my car."  
            He brushed his hand along her hood and looked back at Richey, "Ask her...ask her if it's a trick."  
            Just staring at A.Jay like he was indeed out of his head, Richey folded his arms across his chest, suppressing a shiver.  Still, he was almost starting to believe the crazy guy.  After all, how could a car change its color just due to some gadget or trick he had not heard of before.  "Riiight, I'm just supposed ta ask this...car...ya call Shelby if it'sa trick.  And I suppose she'll answer me right 'way?"  
            Mouth twisting into a faint grimace, he slowly shook his head.  "And they call me a kid.  'kay then, I'll play along.  Yo, Shelby, was it a trick?"  
            No answer.  Shelby simply stayed silent where she sat, observing them and grinning mostly to herself as the last few internal problems were taken care of.  
            _Silly fucking me! Of course she's not going ...GRRRR!_  A.Jay stared at her and winced.  With a sigh, he threw his hands up and moved around to the drivers side.  "Of course, what was I thinking.  Heaven forbid she make me out to be a sane man."  He nudged her white door with his knee and looked up at Richey from the opposite side.  "Shall we go?"  
            Staying exactly where he was, the boy watched the guy closely, eyes narrowed in a rather cute scowl.  "Mister, it's _just_ a car!"  
            That did it.  Suddenly the door moved to bump A.Jay sharply in the knee, but not hurt him...much.  "**_It_** is sitting right here, and **_it_** does not like being called **_just_** a car!"  
            The kid's mouth literally dropped open, eyes widening.  
            "Ow!  Fuck!"  
            A.Jay winced and fell back, not so much in pain as he was in shock at her sudden alertness.  Lying out in the snow, he watched the clouds make their courses over the pale blue of the morning sky.  Whimpering a bit, he slowly eased back onto his feet and pointed at her, "You didn't have to knock me in the knee to get a point across, Shelby!"

            He leant forth to grab the door handle, before his eyes lifted towards the silent child.  A knowing smirk crossed his lips and he pulled away from the car slowly.  
            "You believe me now?"  
            "Erm...oops?"  She sounded a bit abashed, but not very much, as there was a hint of a chuckle underneath her words.  Just to be a pain...so to speak...she moved the door to let A.Jay fall back into the snow.  "You needed to cool down anyway, hot-rod."  Then her attention turned to Richey.  He was still staring with mouth open.  Finally, all that he could manage was a nod.  
            When his mouth snapped closed, he blinked, then almost bounced.  "WOW!  That...what an awesome car!"  The first real sign that the streets had not been able to completely rob him of his childhood was found in the excitement and enthusiasm of Richey's voice as he almost bounced in place.  
            A sigh fell from A.Jay's lips as he lie there, listening to the exuberance that escaped the child.  Slowly, he eased upright and glared at the car, before he got to his feet and started brushing himself off.  "Yeah, don't give her a big head."  He warned, with a growing smile along his full lips.  Grabbing onto her door, he made sure he was good and inside the car before she could respond.  
            "Come on, Richey! Lets ride!"


End file.
